Roasted Pumpkin Cream Soup

Preparation

• 1
  Halve the Hokkaido pumpkin, remove the seeds with a spoon, and cut the flesh (including the skin) into cubes of approx. 3 cm. Hokkaido does not need to be peeled, as the skin softens during cooking. If using butternut squash, peel it beforehand.
• 2
  Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Spread the pumpkin cubes on it, sprinkle with sea salt, and drizzle with olive oil. Mix everything well. Add the fresh herb sprigs and unpeeled garlic cloves. Roast in the preheated oven at 200 °C (top/bottom heat) for approx. 45–60 minutes until the pumpkin is soft.
• 3
  Remove the herb sprigs. Squeeze the soft garlic out of its skin and finely puree it together with the roasted pumpkin and warm vegetable broth. Briefly heat the pumpkin cream in a pot, then remove from the heat. Stir in the whipping cream and season the soup with freshly grated nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
• 4
  Serve the soup in deep plates. Garnish as desired with a dollop of whipping cream, a few drops of olive oil or pumpkin seed oil, and fresh herbs. Toasted bread pairs well with it.